treat cold sores

Cold sores can be caused by herpes simplex virus, sometimes they can also show up on the face, near the eyes even inside the nose. The sores can also appear on the genital area and can be easily passed on through saliva and oral sex.

Cold Sores versus Canker Sores

Cold sores are often mistaken as canker sore. The description of cold sores is that they can be triggered by excessive sun exposure, colds, menstruation and weakening of the immune system. Canker sores are just bacterial infections that have small round white areas that are surrounded by sharp halo of red while the cold sores can be passed from one person to another even without the blisters.

Can cold sores be cured?

There is still not cure for cold sores. They will come back and get triggered even with no apparent reason. There are only creams that can reduce the swelling, drying and the pain. Cold sores can be triggered by stress. The anxiety can lead to hormonal imbalance and weakening of the immune system. One of the best ways in reducing the attacks is by taking foods that are rich in lysine. It can help heal and prevent the sores by preventing herpes from getting cloned. Patients need to avoid foods that are rich in arginine.

What does a patient with cold sore need to eat?

Patients should eat high lysine foods like cheese, milk, and yogurt. Avoid eating nuts, seeds, grains and chocolate. Once you feel the first tingle or itch place an ice pack to delay the cold sore, the faster you apply the better.

What to Eat

treat cold sores

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and avoid acidic foods, the ph balance of your body should be around 7.4 there are supplements nowadays that promise to lower down the alkalinity of the body. Avoid taking tomatoes, citrus, soda and vinegar rich foods. Increase your intake of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic and onion as well as ginger and beans. You can also take grape seed extract and fiber rich foods. Exercise regularly and practice meditation and yoga to avoid stress.

cold sores on lips

Cold sores is caused by the herpes simplex virus that can be easily passed along through saliva. It can also affect the mouth, the face, the genitals and the skin as well as the buttocks and the anal area. Some people who do not exhibit symptoms but have the virus can still pass it even without the presence of blisters, which is why more care and awareness needs to be spread by health organizations in order to contain the herpes simplex virus.

Some people are not even aware that they are already infected, pregnant women can pass this to their children during birth which is why once detected they have to undergo caesarean section. Others can transfer this to their children through kissing; children can also get this by chewing on infected items around the house.

The common location where herpes simplex virus occurs is in the lips area, they are often called as cold sores or fever blisters. They can last there for several days and week depending on the severity of the transmission.

What makes the herpes or cold sores recur?

A weak immune system is one of the main culprits. The virus can remain stagnant and once the immune system weakens it can re appear. There is no exact explanation why the sores come back but according to observation the cold sores can be accompanied by fever, cold and flu. It can also be triggered by ultra violet radiation, too much sun exposure, stress, depression, unhealthy eating habits that can cause changes in the body as well as trauma to the area like scratching it. It can also be caused by menstruation, but at times it would recur for no apparent reason.

How can it be spread?

cold sores on lips

The herpes simplex virus is highly contagious. It can be spread through kissing caused by making out. It can be transmitted through any form of close contact especially with skin shedding. It can also be transmitted through infected salvia. They can also pass this through sexual contact, but this cannot be passed by using the towel or clothes of the individual infected.

cold sores

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. It causes blisters on the lips and even on the genital area and these sores are painful and irritating. They can easily be spread through intimate contact. Cold sores that affect the lips form a crust and will dry up in seven to ten days.

It can recur since the virus just resides inside the skin and hibernates for some time. Once it is triggered by stress and weak immune system it will come out again. Some individuals would only suffer from one or two attacks in a year while some would have it frequently in a month.

In some cases, people can suffer from genital herpes. This has been passed on by an infected partner through sexual intercourse and even during oral sex. Over one million individuals all over the world are being infected every year. A person infected will experience blisters on the male or female genitalia. Doctors can confirm its presence through swabbing an infected lesion. Pregnant females can pass the herpes to the child once it is born which is why it would be better to have a caesarean section once this happens.

Is there are cure for cold sores?

There is still no known potent cure against cold sores. Researchers are still finding ways to cure the problem. We can only reduce the attacks and the pain felt during the attack. A person has to increase the strength of their immune system. Take in herbal supplements and vitamins like Vitamin C, D, E and other types of vitamins. A person has to try to reduce stressful episodes and depression in order not to trigger the cold sore from coming out.

During a medical research in England they have found out that people who have low amounts of B12 suffer from cold sores. By taking in additional vitamin B12, they have improved their condition. The folic acid in B12 can reduce the painful symptoms.

What to avoid eating in order to reduce the symptoms?

cold sores

An infected person must avoid or reducing eating chocolates, peanuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal and whole wheat products. Take brewer’s yeast instead. Reduce the intake of coffee as well in order to reduce the chances of triggering the cold sores. Increasing calcium supplements is also recommended.

cold sores

Cold sores are small and provide excruciating pain for someone who suffers from it. It is a fluid filled blister that often appears on the mouth, lips or nose. It is caused by a virus and it can last for 3 or more days depending on the severity.

What causes the virus?

It will go away naturally, the body has defense mechanisms. The virus that causes it is the herpes simplex virus or HSV. It has two types the type 1 and the type 2.

How does it spread?

People can get it from person to person kissing or other forms of close contact. It can be passed due to the infected saliva and it is highly contagious. But it cannot be passed by using an infected person’s towel or belongings. Just make sure that the saliva will not get in contact with your mouth.

What are the other symptoms?

cold sores

It is sometimes accompanied by fever, colds, flu, and can increase due to exposure to the sun, stress and weakening of the immune system. It can also increase due to hormonal changes like menstruation and trauma to the skin and sometimes it just occurs with no apparent reason.

It has the tendency to recur and infected people can experience it 2 to three times a year.

When to Go to the Doctor?

Once the patient is suffering from fever, swollen glands, bleeding gums and other painful sores as well as infection in the mouth and the nose, cold sores can be very painful, the doctors can provide prescriptions to lessen the pain and shorten the attack. People who have cold sores would have a hard time eating and this could lead to dehydration and nourishment problems. This is why they need to be treated immediately.

]]> http://www.coldsoresblog.com/cold-sores/what-are-cold-sores/feed 0 http://www.coldsoresblog.com/cold-sores/the-four-stages-of-cold-sores http://www.coldsoresblog.com/cold-sores/the-four-stages-of-cold-sores#comments Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:55:04 +0000 jerry http://www.coldsoresblog.com/?p=254

cold sores

The symptoms of cold sores are simple to identify and this is due to the fact that they’re nearly the same for most people. When one contracts the herpes virus, it can stay in the body for a time period that lasts from two to 20 days before one can get to notice the symptoms.

The advent of cold sores on the body comes in four stages and these stages are:

1. The first stage, or the prodromal stage– As the onset of cold sores begin, you are going to have a headache, experience fever, have lymph nodes that are swollen and, in children, drooling. You will also feel itchiness and a burning sensation on the area that is affected.

2. The second stage – The area that’s affected swells and small reddish and pimple-like bumps can be seen. At this stage, one might experience some headaches as well as a fever. One can apply some ice that’s wrapped inside a clean piece of cloth in order to soothe and reduce the inflammation.

3. The third stage – During this stage, blisters will start to form and puss will start to ooze out of the bumps. This stage is the most contagious since this could mean that one can now infect the other parts of the mouth since the puss will contain the virus. This is also the stage wherein one is left with an open wound.

cold sores

4.

The fourth stage – Also known as the healing stage. As the blisters start to set in, the open wound begins to heal and one could now notice the difference each and every day. To quicken the healing process, one can apply some virgin olive oil in order to soothe the wound.

The ones mentioned above are only a few of the symptoms that can be experienced once one has cold sores. If the cold sores take too long to heal, consult your physician.

cold sores

Not all types of soreness near the corners of the mouth are due to the herpes simplex virus. Some of them like cracked skin at the corners can be due to vitamin deficiency and weather conditions. It can also be caused by too much intake of acidic foods or damage caused by sharp food like chips or pineapple.

These sores will heal easily. In 2 or 3 days, they could be gone if one uses Neosporin, lip balm, petroleum jelly and other lip remedies. However, for other sores that do not go away easily, it would be best to get checked by a doctor. This could be caused by a virus known as the herpes simplex virus or HSV.

The cold sores are usually classified as type 1. It is known as a contagious oral virus that can be transferred through kissing or other means of close contact with a person who is infected. Infected saliva is the culprit and the one responsible for spreading the virus. The blister like sores would have to dry first before it can be considered less harmful. The good thing though is that this cannot be passed using towels or washcloths.

Other symptoms that would follow along with cold sores that originated from virus are fever, colds, and flu.

People who are suffering from colds must avoid too much exposure to the sun. They must also relax and take multivitamins to reduce stress and boost the immune system.

cold sores

There are also non-prescription cold sore or fever blister products that can be bought. It can increase the healing capacity of the body and can provide temporary relief from the itching and burning sensation associated with the cold sore. Despite the fact that it can be cured, there are people who have recurring cold sores every year and there are still no exact findings as to why they occur.

One group was given the double whammy- the corticosteroid gel called fluocinonide was applied to cold sores, and they took the antiviral pill called famciclovir.   The other group was given only the famciclovir pills. In the group that received the double whammy, approximately 50% suffered fully developed cold sores. In the group that took only the pill, about 92% got full blown cold sores. And the people in the duel approach group who did get full size cold sores, experienced less pain than the other group.  Further, the sores suffered by the duel approach group were smaller than the sores suffered in the pill-only-group, and they healed faster.  “Healing” was defined as:  the skin returning to a normal condition, without any significant discomfort.

The administrators of the study advised that while the topical gel worked well in combination with the anti-viral pill, it might not be safe to use every time a person felt at risk of, or was experiencing an outbreak.  It was thought that continual use of corticosteroid gel might cause harmful thinning of the skin, or potentially permanent damage.

If you suffer cold sores and would like to find a better treatment method, try this method and see if it brings you relief, but watch the skin carefully; If you see signs of thinning, or a change in consistency of the skin between outbreaks, stop using the gel and check with your doctor.

On the lip

At the edge of the lip

But what if the sore is something else?  Some other types of mouth ailments to be aware of are:

Chapped lips – difference is the lips are sore all over vs. in certain spots.  You can totally avoid this by using SPF 30 lip balm.  If your lips get chapped they will heal quickly with use of something like Neosporin, or Neutrogena instant lip remedy.  Some evidence shows that SPF lip balm helps prevent cold sores too.

Photo of a canker sore

Canker sore – this is not a cold sore. It is not contagious, and is only INSIDE the mouth or on the tongue.  It is very painful.  If you have canker sores there are 4 things that definitely help:  Take L-Lysine daily 1000 to 2000 mg., avoid foods with high acid content like vinegar, pineapple and most all fruits and juices, and tomato products, & use triamcinolone acetonide, a topical medicine.  This is obtained with a prescription from the dentist or doctor.   And last but equally important, use toothpaste for canker sore sufferers.  I definitely do not work for  Rembrandt but they are the only ones I’ve found in over 30 years that have a toothpaste that helps prevent canker sores.  Even new ones out there that claim to help have not, but they may help you.  Give them a try.

Soreness at the corners of the mouth – or skin cracked at the corners.  Also not from herpes.  This may be from a vitamin deficiency, acidic foods, or damage caused by sharp food like chips.  This heals fairly easily  with Neosporin and lip remedies.

This is by no means a complete list of types of mouth sores.  If you have other types of sores and are not sure what they are you’d be wise to check with a doctor or a medical help line.

Cold sores are caused by the Herpes simplex virus and, if the virus particles are transferred to another person they too can become infected.

Cold sores are typically spread by direct skin-to-skin contact with the virus. Kissing or rubbing against the infected area are common examples of how the virus particles can be transferred.

How is the Virus Spread?

If a person has an active cold sore on their lip the herpes virus particles can be transferred to any part of the body that is kissed, including the mouth, face or the genitals.

It should also be made aware that the virus is considered to be contagious from the very first sign of an outbreak (including the tingling, itching stage) until the area is completely healed again. The cold sore virus can also spread at times when there are no visible symptoms due to what is known as Herpes Viral Shedding.

Can Cold Sores be Spread to other Areas of the Body?

One kind of complication involves spreading the virus particles from the location of an outbreak to other places on the body by touching the infection. The fingers, eyes, and other body areas can accidentally become infected in this way.

Preventing self-infection is simple. Do not touch the area during an outbreak. If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water. This will help prevent the virus from spreading further.

What can you do to Treat Cold Sores?

There are many different treatments and remedies for cold sores to assist with healing and help to prevent recurrences. These can help to reduce the amount of time that the cold sore is visible on the skin. There are also medicinal herbs and nutrients, such as Lysine, which can make a difference to the frequency of the episodes.  A commonly prescribed treatment would include medication such as Denavir.

There are also many home remedies which can temporarily help to relieve symptoms, such as-

• Ice can be applied to the sores to both numb and soothe the area, as well as lower the temperature of the infection, helping to inhibit the virus

• Warm tea bags applied to the infected area every hour may be beneficial. This is because black tea bags (such as Early Grey) contain tannic acid which has antiviral properties, best used at the first sign of an outbreak

• Petroleum jelly and other lip moisturizers can soothe and moisten the lips, helping to prevent the cold sore scabs from cracking and bleeding

What is Genital Herpes?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2.

Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur.

Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.